Annual rough sleeping figures for London announced

The annual rough sleeping figures
for London have been announced, with the number of people sleeping rough on the
capital’s streets during 2016-17 almost unchanged compared to the previous
year.

The statistics, released today by
the Combined Homelessness and
Information Network (CHAIN) for the period 1 April 2016 – 31 March 2017, showed
a total of 8,108 people sleeping rough in London
last year, compared to 8,096 recorded the year before. This figure compares
with a 7% rise between 2014-15 and 2015-16, and a 16% rise between 2013-14 and
2014-15.

2,127 people were helped off the
streets by outreach teams over the course of the last year. 72% of new rough
sleepers were seen out only once, up from 64% the previous year, indicating an
increasingly effective response in reaching new rough sleepers.

There was an 8% increase in the
number of longer term rough sleepers compared to 2015-16. 1,978 people were seen
sleeping rough at least in both 2015- 16 and 2016- 17, while 1,036 people
returned to rough sleeping. These figures show a worrying rise in the number of
people living on London’s streets.

Bill
Tidnam, Thames Reach Director of Operations, said: "Today's statistics,
which show that the number of rough sleepers seen in London has not risen for
the first time in many years, are very much to be welcomed.

“There is
clearly still a huge amount to do though, particularly to address the number of
entrenched rough sleepers, and so we will continue to work with the Mayor to
develop new approaches to help people off the streets."

CHAIN, which is commissioned and
funded by the Greater London Authority, is the UK’s most detailed and
comprehensive source of information about rough sleeping. The reports are based on work done by outreach teams out on the capital’s streets 365 nights a year.